Hello from all of us at Sky Island Alliance! We hope 2008 is looking as good for you as it is for us. With all our new programs and plans and people, and our updated field schedule, we've got a busy, but exciting year ahead. To get the jump on what's going in 2008, read on! To make a donation in support of our work, click here.

Great Groups!

Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists

Arizona Trail Cienega Corridor Construction Project

Malapai Borderlands Group

Click here to read the
Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection's newsletter.

The I-10 Bypass. Have your voices been heard?

Last fall, the Arizona Department of Transportation held six public meetings throughout southern Arizona to collect public comments on a proposal to build an I-10 bypass that would route commercial traffic around the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas. All proposed routes for the Bypass run through wildlife linkages and other ecologically sensitive areas. Sky Island Alliance, along with many other groups, sent notices to members and other interested parties encouraging them to show up and voice their opinions, and boy did you all show up! The fall meetings were well attended by members of the public who overwhelmingly opposed the Bypass, no matter its proposed route. We are just thrilled that so many people understood that the Bypass is a bad idea, period, and not something that we can afford to compromise on. We are grateful that so many people took the time to express this sentiment, and we give a great big thanks to everyone who stood up and voiced concerns over the proposed Bypass.

At the November 29 meeting in Tucson the room was crowded and the overwhelming public response to the proposal was a resounding “no.” On December 21, in the Oro Valley Council Chambers, ADOT presented its findings from the preliminary study of the proposal of the State Transportation Board. The agenda included a call to the audience and many citizens, some of whom had traveled great distances, were prepared to give comment. Unfortunately the chairperson determinedly stuck to his plan allowing only a few organizations who had submitted prior comments to speak. No comments were taken from the general audience; no other organizations were allowed to speak. People were advised to submit written comments by December 31. We thank everyone who took time away from your holiday doings to write and submit comments.

So where do things stand now? In January ADOT submitted a finalized report with recommendations to the Transportation Board. The submitted feasibility study was classed as “preliminary” and lacked the robustness of a thorough analysis, environmental impacts were given a cursory glance and a detailed cost analysis was not included. The Board did not take any action or make a decision at that time, but it may address the I-10 Bypass at its next meeting in Phoenix on February 13 and 14. If we're lucky, if you're voices were heard, the Board will decide to scrap the whole plan. If the Board votes to continue the Bypass scheme, the next step would require commission of a comprehensive study on the “preferred” alternative route(s). Regardless of what action, if any, the Board takes, the next possible junction for public comment would be at the Transportation Board meeting in Tucson on March 21. The agenda should include a call to the audience. Either way, you can count on us to keep you informed of any developments.

You can view a PDF of that ADOT presentation and study the “Study Findings” at: http://tpd.azdot.gov/planning/Files/i10bypass/ADOT_Board_Dec_21_2007.pdf

(This is a large document and may take a long time to load.)

Good-bye! Hello! SIA bids farewell to board member Angel Montoya and welcomes new board member Carol Cullen. At its December meeting in Tucson, the SIA board of directors was sad to accept the resignation of Angel Montoya, who stepped down as a director after three years of dedicated service. As a director, Angel worked to establish the Northern Mexico Conservation Program, and his expertise in working in Mexico was valuable in helping SIA get that program off the ground. Angel, who is a Senior Field Biologist with the Peregrine Fund in New Mexico and a tireless conservationist, stepped down so that he could focus more closely on conservation issues in the Las Cruces area. He continues to support Sky Island Alliance as a member, and we wish him the best of luck!

Also at its December meeting, the board of directors voted to accept Carol Cullen as a new member of the board. Carol is the Executive Director with the Tubac Chamber of Commerce.  Living in the midst of the Sky Island region, Carol is committed to working with the local business community to preserve the natural landscapes, open space and special rural character of the area. She believes that these are the environmental amenities that create sustainable commercial value for tourism, a staple of the Southern Arizona economy. In November, even before joining the board, Carol accompanied SIA Executive Director Matt Skroch and Wilderness Coordinator Mike Quigley to Washington DC to testify before Congress on behalf of the Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness Act.

Carol has extensive experience in research and evaluation having served as a professional evaluator for most of her career reviewing state, national and international programs. We're excited to welcome her to the board and look forward to her powerful advocacy on behalf of the Sky Island region.

_____________________________________

SIA hires Conservation Associate Lahsha Brown. Sky Island Alliance is thrilled to have Lahsha Brown on board as its newest conservation associate. Lahsha will be working alongside David Hodges on conservation in the Peloncillos region. Lahsha began doing outreach work for The Wilderness Society's Idaho office in 1995. At the Wilderness Society she led campaigns to protect Wilderness areas, national monuments and other public lands. Lahsha has experience working with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Forest Service, and she has policy expertise in a number of land use areas, including off-road vehicle use and livestock grazing. Lahsha attended Boise State University and the University of Arizona and is certified in Riparian Area Restoration and Monitoring from Oregon State University. She has served as an appointed member of the BLM Resource Advisory Council in Idaho and on the Owyhee County Recreation Task Force.

Lahsha can be contacted at lahsha@skyislandalliance.org or (520) 624-7080x17.

________________________________

Look for Sky Island Alliance at the upcoming Tubac Arts Festival. SIA will be selling books from the Art In Wilderness exhibit at the 49th Annual Tubac Festival of the Arts Feb. 6-10. The major event of the year for Tubac, the juried Festival showcases the work of hundreds of visiting artists, craft persons and musicians from around the country and Canada. Serious classical paintings share the street with whimsical sculptures, New Age music, food vendors and community organizations like Sky Island Alliance. We hope you'll come out in support of local artists, vendors and Sky Island Alliance, but if you can't make it, you can purchase your Art inWilderness book online by clicking here.

For more information about the Tubac Festival of the Arts, click here or call (520) 398-2704.

_____________________________________

Banff Mountain Film Festival, hosted by Summit Hut, is coming to Tucson, and Sky Island Alliance will be there! Last fall, Tucson area Summit Hut stores sold the Mountain Hardwear fleece pullover at a discounted price in order to raise awareness of and funds for Sky Island Alliance. The promotion promised Sky Island Alliance a portion of the proceeds of each fleece sold, and this winter, with the last fleece sold, Sky Island Alliance was happy to learn that its portion of the proceeds was over $1,600!

What's more exciting is that Summit Hut will be presenting the donation check to SIA before a crowd of hundreds at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is a long-running program of the Banff Centre, which is a world-renowned arts, cultural and educational institution that promotes the development of creative work in the arts, science, business and environmental arenas. The film festival, which is focused on the promotion and understanding of mountain cultures, annually screens the top 50 festival entries. This year, the Festival will be held at the Fox Theatre at 7:30PM on March 28. For more information, check the coming editions of Sky Island Rhythms or call Summit Hut at (520) 325-1554 or 1-888-1000. Better yet, visit one of Summit Hut's two Tucson locations and let them know, in person, just how much we all appreciate their support of Sky Island Alliance.

_____________________________________

SIA looking for Tumacacori Highlands Outreach Associate. Sky Island Alliance seeks an Outreach Associate to engage the public and community leaders in the Sky Island region and beyond to gain federal Wilderness designation for the Tumacacori Highlands. We are seeking a person who is politically astute. He or she must be dynamic and civic-minded and have experience engaging community members. Excellent interpersonal, writing and demonstrated organizational skills are required. The position will be located in our Tucson, AZ office. It is half-time and does not include benefits; however, opportunities for the position to grow into a full-time position with benefits may exist in the future depending on funding. Please submit applications no later than February 18, 2008. Applications should include a resume, professional references, a writing sample, and a cover letter. Please send to Sky Island Alliance, Attn: Wilderness Coordinator, PO Box 41165, Tucson, AZ 85717 or via e-mail to mike@skyislandalliance.org. No phone calls please. For a complete job description and application instructions, please visit our Website.

______________________________________

Not a member? Know someone who isn't a member, but should be? You may have guessed from our explosion of new projects, programs and hires that Sky Island Alliance has big conservation plans. In order to achieve those plans, we need big membership growth. This year, SIA is aiming to grow by 500 new members because big membership numbers translates into big conservation results. Whether we need to influence key congresspeople on Wilderness designation or particular agency staff on transportation or newspaper editorial boards weighing in on a public debate, the more members we have, the more influence we have and the more we can get done. If you're not already supporting us with your membership, please think about doing so now. Joining only takes a moment and your dues go to support programs like Wilderness and Special Designations, Wildlife Linkages, Landscape Restoration and Northern Mexico Conservation Program. Your membership also includes a subscription to Restoring Connections, Sky Island's critically-acclaimed journal. If you're not sure whether you're a current member or would like to provide a gift membership for someone who isn't a member, contact development associate Moniqua Lane, and she'll be glad to assist you. Moniqua can be reached at moniqua@skyislandalliance.org or (520) 624-7080x17.

_____________________________________

UPDATED Landscape Restoration Program Field Schedule for 2008

Check it out! skyislandalliance.org/calendar.htm

For more information, contact Trevor at (520) 624-7080x14 or at trevor@skyislanalliance.org.

_____________________________________

We want to continue to reach out to those who share an interest in protecting our beautiful landscapes. Please tell friends and co-workers they can receive our monthly eNewsletter by signing up for it here.